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Join the Cybersecurity and Incident Response Group on LinkedInFTI Consulting hires cybersecurity expert Matt Chevraux
FTI Consulting has hired Matt Chevraux, a senior cybersecurity expert and law enforcement veteran, as a managing director in the firm’s cybersecurity practice in Washington, DC. Chevraux joins FTI from the US Secret Service, where he spent more than 22 years and specialized in cybersecurity readiness, incident response, and investigations. Source: FTI Consulting hires cybersecurity […]
FBI Warning: Ransomware Attackers Don’t Take Holidays – Technology – United States
Three major attacks in 2021 were conducted over holiday weekends: Mother’s Day weekend saw the Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack; over Memorial Day weekend, hackers attacked the JBS SA meatpacking operations in the U.S., Canada, and Australia; and in the weekend leading up to the July 4th holiday, software vendor Kaseya suffered a massive attack that […]
U.S. Government Launches First One-Stop Ransomware Resource at StopRansomware.gov | Department of Justice
Today, as part of the ongoing response, agencies across the U.S. government announced new resources and initiatives to protect American businesses and communities from ransomware attacks. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), together with federal partners, have launched a new website to combat the threat of ransomware. StopRansomware.gov establishes […]
IDC Survey Finds More Than One Third of Organizations Worldwide Have Experienced a Ransomware Attack or Breach | Business Wire
A new International Data Corporation (IDC) survey found that more than one third of organizations worldwide have experienced a ransomware attack or breach that blocked access to systems or data in the previous 12 months. And for those that fell victim to ransomware, it is not uncommon to have experienced multiple ransomware events. Source: IDC […]
Biden to Hold Cybersecurity Summit With Tech Giants, Top Banks, Energy Firms – WSJ
While ransomware is expected to be a key focus, it isn’t the sole priority of the gathering, a senior administration official said. The broader conversation also will focus on critical infrastructure security, supply-chain security, cybersecurity workforce training and education, and insurance policies, the official said. Source: Biden to Hold Cybersecurity Summit With Tech Giants, Top […]
U.S. State Department reportedly hit by a cyberattack in recent weeks
The U.S. State Department was hit by a cyberattack and notifications of a potentially serious breach were made by the Department of Defense Cyber Command, a Fox News reporter said on Saturday. A knowledgeable source told Reuters the State Department has not experienced significant disruptions and has not had its operations impeded in any way. Source: […]
Congress’ 3 Crypto Hearings Promise Substance – CoinDesk
The narrative I originally pitched this newsletter a year ago as a vehicle to discuss regulatory issues and the U.S. Congress’ approach to crypto in a more in-depth way than in a straight news article. Part of my thesis at the time was that I fully expected to see more regulatory interactions with the crypto […]
Jen Easterly: DHS cybersecurity chief confirmed amid fallout from another ransomware attack – CNNPolitics
The Senate on Monday unanimously confirmed Jen Easterly to lead the Department of Homeland Security’s cybersecurity division, a role that will be key in the administration’s cybersecurity efforts. Easterly, a two-time recipient of the Bronze Star, was nominated by President Joe Biden in April to be the second director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security […]
How a ransomware attack works – The Washington Post
“Cryptocurrency is invading all forms of criminal activities, and criminals follow the money,” said Gurvais Grigg, a former assistant director of the FBI and now global public sector chief technology officer of blockchain analysis firm Chainalysis. The transactions are also irreversible, said Rich Sanders, co-founder and lead investigator at CipherBlade, which analyzes the blockchain. “You […]
‘Shut down everything:’ Global ransomware attack takes a small Maryland town offline
McKay said JustTech informed Leonardtown that the ransom demand was $45,000 per computer but that the town’s leaders never seriously considered paying. Instead, they are undertaking the painstaking work of restoring computer system backups. The town has 19 computers, and all but two were frozen. One was spared because the employee who uses it was […]
Ransomware Is the IRS of Bitcoin – WSJ
Like taxes, the forced use of bitcoin by victims of ransomware creates a need for at least some bitcoin. Ransom payers have to buy it from someone else, who either is in the energy-intensive business of mining it or speculates on its future value. So far, it hasn’t provided the foundation for broader adoption, not […]
Cyber insurance isn’t helping with cybersecurity, and it might be making the ransomware crisis worse, say researchers | ZDNet
According to a research paper examining cyber insurance and the cybersecurity challenge by defence think tank Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), this practice isn’t just encouraging cyber criminals, it’s also not sustainable for the cyber insurance industry, which warns ransomware has become an existential threat for some insurers. “To date, cyber insurance has failed to live […]
Major Government Contractor Booz Allen Helps Cyber Victims Pay Ransoms—Exactly The Opposite Of U.S. Policy
This time around, though, Bessette is leading the cyber incident response at consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton, which he joined in 2019. In his new role, he is actually helping the firm’s customers negotiate with hackers, something he never did at the FBI. In some instances, he is even recommending paying the ransom, which goes […]
To stop the ransomware pandemic, start with the basics | The Economist
Fixing the private sector’s incentives is the first step. Officials in America, Britain and France want to ban insurance coverage of ransom payments, on the ground that it encourages further attacks. Better to require companies to publicly disclose attacks and their potential cost. In America, for example, the requirements are vague and involve large time […]
2021 Data Breach Outlook | Cyber Risk | Kroll
Industries most impacted in 2019 continued to be hard hit in both 2020 and so far in 2021, including healthcare, education and financial services. However, the greatest percentage increases occurred in industries that had been generally spared in 2019. The overall implication is that data attacks became broader and deeper during the pandemic, a trend […]